Soap Stars Galore

I decided to write about my NYC trip in a series of posts each with a main focus so as to not overwhelm myself or my (scant) readers. The first post is about meeting the actors from my soap since that was the main reason for our trip. I'll include a little info about characters' storylines to entertain those of you who may not watch the show. Here they are, my pictures from the As the World Turns Fan Club Luncheon 2010 (the LAST one ever so you see how crucial it is that we attended).

First up we have a paparazzi-esque shot of Michael Park (Jack). He had to leave early and we were not informed of this in time so we didn't have the time to stand in his line. Jack current storyline: Reunited with ex-ex(?) wife and recently divorced from Janet who is preggers with his baby. Also leaving early, Teri. We decided to smile like she did in the pictures - some of us achieved this and some...did not. Teri current storyline: Cooking food at Metro (THE club in Oakdale) and mourning the death of her father.

Here we have ex-Adam, Allison, and Casey. Casey is super hot which is why I insisted on having my own picture and standing next to him. Allison was really nice and asked our names and introduced herself. Adam current storyline: he's not currently on the show, but when he was he showed up having had many plastic surgeries giving him a new face and his own family didn't even recognize him (only on soaps, right?). Allison and Casey current storyline: They were engaged but she cheated on him with this guy who was brainwashed into thinking he was the villain of Oakdale who had already died so Casey broke up with her at their wedding.

Vienna, Henry, and Barbara - some of my favorites. Vienna showed up as we were in line so we got her in our pictures. She is absolutely gorgeous! She was also very touchy-feely and complimentary of Danette's deriere! Vienna, Henry, Barbara current storyline: Vienna and Henry are engaged and she wants to be his baby mama but Henry's secretly in love with the significantly older Barbara.

Brad. He had to leave early, too, but I somehow managed to sneak up in a not-actually-formed line to get close enough for a picture then got one with him that he took. Too bad he had sweaty pits. He was quite hunky. He also came out on stage wearing a tablecloth. Brad current storyline: He's dead on the show, but for a while he was a ghost (hence the tablecloth) and his death actually conjured up tears in my eyes.

Margo and Katie - Katie is probably my favorite actress/character combo. She is also gorgeous in person and Margo here was probably the only actor there who didn't look as good in person. Margo current storyline: none really, semi-solving crimes as chief of police? Katie current storyline: missing Brad, taking care of her baby, and telling Henry to marry Vienna.

Kim and Lisa were some of the classics that were at the luncheon and Mom wanted her pictures with them and we were lucky to catch each just as they were leaving. Kim current storyline: getting actually married to her husband, Bob, of 25 years and taking a vacation with him. Lisa current storyline: not a lot, attending Kim and Bob's party?

Meg and Molly had a long line so I just snapped pictures from afar. Both looked beautiful in person. We semi-talked to Molly in the bathroom line. Meg current storyline: being crazy and trying to get her baby back from her ex-husband who also used to be crazy until he had a micro-chip taken out of his brain. Molly current storyline: getting it on with her baby (well, her kid's a grown up but anyway) daddy, Holden, and trying to keep up her TV news anchor career in the "small town" of Oakdale.

Liza and I hopped in some other lines while Mom and Danette waited in longer ones. Some of the shorter lines included new-Faith and Gabriel. Gabriel was smelling good and both were very nice. Faith current storyline: being a brat to her parents and hoarding drugs. Gabriel current storyline: blackmailing Craig who is secretly his father, but all that's on hold while he's in the hospital due to getting knocked out by Parker in a building where Craig then started a fire.

We also took a picture with the kids because no one ever went to their line. Johnny, Natalie, and Sage current storyline: being terrible actors while being extremely cute.

This line was short because no one knew who these people were. I remembered Bryant (as being super hot) and we also have one of the many ex-Mikes. Bryant last storyline: dying in a car accident that was somehow orchestrated by his dad, Craig. Mike last storyline: being in debt and racing illegal race cars in South Carolina where he lives with his random wife and baby.

Noah and Reid had a super long line because apparently everyone loves Luke (who left early) and Noah who are gay on the show. Reid is also gay on the show. They were really nice, too, even when we were being rushed into photos as time was running out. Noah and Reid current storyline: Reid is a super bad ass neurosurgeon and he's going to operate on Noah(Luke's ex)'s brain so his recent blindness will be no more but Reid also has feelings for Luke.

Janet and Iris. They were confused when we just wanted pictures and not autographs. Janet wasn't showing an excess of cleavage like her character does so kudos to her. Janet current storyline: mourning the death of her father while being pregnant with her ex-husband's baby, dealing with her daughter's cancer, and having mixed feelings about her fiance, Dusty, who she believes is responsible for her father's death. Iris's current storyline: unknown, but she's coming back on the show soon to stir up some mischief.

Last photo of the day: Parker and Liberty. On the show, Liberty has cancer and she replaced a previous actress so this was the first time we actually got to see her hair since she usually wears a hat. Parker is super tall. Parker and Liberty current storyline: Parker is in love with Liberty but she wants to be an independent cancer-remission girl and Parker got mad that Gabriel is her friend so he punched him out and left him where he ended up in the fire and is trying to cover it up.

The only tables we missed were Ben and Camille (who haven't been on the show in forever), Meg and Molly, and Mick and Hunter (who aren't really on anymore either). However, when we were on the escalator going down a bit later, I looked to the side at the up elevator and said "Hey, that looks like Hunter!" I didn't mean it to be so loud but the guy looked down and, indeed, he was Hunter from the show. So I smiled and waved at him and he smiled and waved back. Thanks, Hunter!

What an awesome thing to be able to meet (and have proof of meeting) so many actors from what is probably my all time favorite show due to the amount of time I have invested in it. Seriously, almost 20 years of my life has been spent watching this show daily. I will truly miss it when it goes off the air in September; I will probably cry, but at least I have my memories of meeting all the stars in person!

Stay tuned for part 2 of the NYC blog series: Exceptional Eating.

Early 90's TV Has a Permanent Home in My Brain

I was watching an episode of Boy Meets World today (thanks for suggesting that, TiVo) when I heard a familiar-ish sounding voice. I looked up to see a woman playing a teacher on the show. She was tall, skinny, and had voluminous dark hair. After hearing a few more sentences, I thought, Hmm, she sounds and looks like Nurse Jennifer from Saved by the Bell. My curiosity (and lack of report-writing motivation) enticed me to see if it was the same actress (Nancy Valen) and it was. Then I thought about how amazing (and a bit sad) it was that I could immediately place her as being on Saved by the Bell (best show ever) and that I knew the name of the character she appeared as only ONCE in a single episode. No wonder my brain has no more capacity for useful information

As the World Turns Fan Club Luncheon

Yep, I'm headed to NYC for a weekend in April to attend this event! My mom, sister, and Danette are coming, too, making this the best ladies weekend ever! We get to meet the stars of our beloved, long-followed soap before the show will be taken off the air in September. It probably seems silly, but I have watched this show probably since I was 5. We also get to hit up New York City and do fun city things (actual activities TBD). We are all excited and, seriously, who else do you know that can say, "oh yes, I'm headed off to New York City for the weekend"? We will not be as crazy as the people in this video but, as Liza pointed out, watching them will be half the fun. The guy who says he's going to pass out is my favorite. I hope he's there.

DC and OTH: Up Close and Personal

Dawson's Creek is one of my favorite shows of all time. It revolutionized the prime time teen drama era of the late 90's and led the way for other fantastic shows like One Tree Hill. When deciding upon vacay locales, I was intrigued at visiting the place where these shows are filmed: Wilmington, NC. What follows below is an intense collection of pictures from both shows as well as corresponding pictures from our visit. Enjoy.

Picture of OTH cast outside Screen Gems Stuidos.

We begin with One Tree Hill and the bridge from the opening credits. It's the same, trust me.


The Rivercourt, site of many famous scenes from OTH and me hanging out on the bleachers.

Dawson's Creek scenery shot from show on left and my picture on right. Similar?


Leery's Fresh Fish restaurant from season 3 and now (too bad it's closed so we couldn't experience the interior)

Oh the Riverwalk. So many scenes took place here. Like Dawson, chillin' at night with the bridge in the background (middle pic) and where Dawson is he would see what you see in the far right picture.

Fountain where several scenes took place. Here it is with Pacey in "Boston" in season 6 and here it is as viewed from the river.

Oh the wall. The wall Pacey bought for Joey at the end of season 3 where he wrote his famous words "ask me to stay." Sadly, it looks like the wall is going to be covered up so it's a good thing I got a picture before it was too late!


Hell's Kitchen - the college dive bar of the Dawson's Creek-ers from seasons 5 and 6. Here's the exterior in season 6 and now. It's the same! And so is everything inside.


Some interior shots of Hell's Kitchen - Pacey at the bar and Audrey singing on the stage.
(The pic on the right is mainly to prove to Liza that they did have a stage at the back, like I said)

Here's the gang's usual table and here's us sitting at the same table!

Oh "the ruins." Dawson and Jen's first kiss, Pacey and Miss Jacob's first...uh...time? So pretty in the movie and so pretty in real life. This was probably one of the coolest sites on my quest for Dawson's Creek locations. And look below, they even go back in season 6 at the very end. Tear.